The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa’s visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars) and Walter Hill (Last Man Standing), this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films ever produced. Criterion is proud to present this Kurosawa favorite in a new, high-definition digital transfer.

Disc Features

- All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer- Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects- Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince- A 45-minute documentary on the making of Yojimbo, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create- Theatrical trailer and teaser- Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos- New and improved English subtitle translation- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Alexander Sesonske and notes from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, the jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a “proper” samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but just as engaging, this classic character’s return is a masterpiece in its own right, now presented in a new high-definition digital transfer.

Disc Features

- All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer- Optional Dolby Digital 3.0 soundtrack, preserving the original Perspecta simulated-stereo effects- Audio commentary by film historian and Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince- A 35-minute documentary on the making of Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create- Theatrical trailer and teaser- Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos- New and improved English subtitle translation- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Sragow and notes and statements from Kurosawa and his cast and crew

Courtesy of Google's cache, here are two key posts from the old ezboard forum:

dvdane wrote:

As Kurosawa expanded the borders and rewrote the "rules" for genre, he also reexamined the nature of the ronin. I think its unfair to view the ronin protagonists as "bad-ass doesnt-give-a-damn-but-really-cares hero", as the character motivation is based on Kurosawa reexamine the nature of the samurai/ronin.

In Tokugawa Japan caste was an integrated part of society. According to Shinokosho, the four major classes were samurai, peasant, artisan and merchant. Anyone not part of these classes were heimin (commoners) and had basicly no rights, not even the right to a family name. The ronin was considered the top class of the lowest caste system, of which chori (outcasts) and hinin (nonman, beggers, prostitutes).

Kurosawa saw the ronin as a stray dog and creates an equivalent index to Sanjuro, as he crosses the path of a dog carring a human hand in its jaws. Kurosawa further illustrates Sanjuro as a man guided by fate, as he follows the path "dictated" by the falling stick.

Another addition by Kurosawa is, that his ronin protagonist(s) cant gain satisfaction by any action. In "Seven Samurai" we learn, that the old ronin "is preparing a battle that wont bring neither fame nor money" and that the battle ultimatively brinds defeat. In "Yojimbo" Sanjuro, after returning to settle the score, gains nothing by it. Without social awareness, actions means nothing. And as Sanjuro is torn between the two classes of samurai and ronin, he cannot find neither satisfaction nor any fullfillment by his actions. His swords weild with the same "reason" as the road he wanderes; They are guided by fate, by chance, by randomness.

Mr sausage wrote:

Kurosawa was challanging the traditional notions of the samurai with Sanjuro. Not only is the character lazy and greedy, but he also seems to enjoy killing. He takes pleasure in taking out an entire city just for profit. Yet Sanjuro isn't really a "doesn't give a damn but really cares" hero. It's not that he doesn't care, he is just more interested in his own self preservation. Even with this in mind, he still has some sense of values. When he saves the family, it is because the two gangs so offend his values that he feels those being hurt by them should be helped. That's what makes him better then the gangs he is trying to destroy.

He is also challenging the traditional notion of the samurai in the movie Sanjuro. Kurosawa shows that the traditional ways of the samurai can no longer succeed in the more modern world. The group of young warriors follow the values and beliefs of the samurai and its codes. Yet each time they follow those traditions they are almost killed. It's Sanjuro, the samurai who lacks all these traditional values, that saves them.

A lone mercenary wanders into a desolate town overrun by rival gangs. This mercenary decides to play both sides against each other for profit. But when he rescues an innocent woman, his life is in danger and he must use his extraordinary killing abilities to, er, kill everyone. The Criterion Collection is proud to present Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars, and Last Man Standing in luminous transfers (For real this time) and the same Walter Hill commentary playing over all three films (with certain names dubbed when necessary, e.g. "Bruce" would be dubbed by Stephen Prince as "Toshiro" or "Clint"). Also features a trailer for Die Hard.

Artistically, both films may 'deserve' to stand alone but, from a marketing perspective, Criterion would be smart to release them together. Since most potential buyers will already own the previous releases, they will entice many more people to upgrade by offering a 3-disc boxset priced at, say, $49.95 or $59.95, than to release each as a stand-alone special edition priced at $39.95.

Besides, Yojimbo and Sanjuro are far more suitable box-mates than many films in other Criterion sets.

Wow, there seems to be a lot of talk about Criterion's numbering system lately. The Doinel box does indeed contain one out of sequence number, but that's a far cry from a release in which the discs are numbered 52 and 53 and the box which contains them is numbered 346 or something.

My prediction is that Criterion will release the new versions individually but also make them available as a "collector's set" (since they're so keen on Samurai-themed collector's sets), thereby sidestepping the box numbering issue.

The Tati box could go either way. At least there should be a couple of new titles included, so it will be more like the Doinel situation where the box number is associated with at least some of its contents.

Are we nerds or what? Help, I think my pocket protector has sprung a leak!

Seeing as how the three announced rereleases already make up 75% of a current gift set, wouldn't it make sense for Criterion to slightly retool (prolly a new price) the current set to match the new releases?

wow what happen to all the other post that was here before is it all lost?

Sadly lost during the last crash. I mourn the loss of information but because I thought it was a particularly informative thread ranging from the details of what is wrong with the transfers to the practice of lacquering teeth.

The only reason I could see for NOT packaging them together is if one would consider buying one and not the other...which is quite absurd IMO. As far as a combined package compromising the integrity of the film...well, that's ridiculous. It's packaging, convenience...not a slam.

It looks like these won't be coming this year. A real shame. And the promised! Sorry- I guess that is a bit childish. There is hope that it will still be announced in the next day or two, but not likely. December is usually a light month and what they have announced so far seems about right. Please let it be January-I would also really love these to be packaged together. It just makes sense and would strenghten the tie between the films.

It's really, REALLY disappointing that these weren't announced today. I don't think it's childish to say, "They promised!" That's what I was thinking.

Personally, I don't want them to be packaged together, because they're both masterpieces in their own right and deserve individual recognition. Perhaps a mini-boxed set with two individually packaged discs...

But, I suppose the delay allows for the vast improvements, hopefully liken to those made with the awe-inspiring Seven Samurai re-release, we'd all expect from Criterion.

Charles Taylor in a fall DVD preview column in The New York Observer, out this week:

Quote:

The Criterion Collection, the gold standard for all DVD releases, continues its seemingly never-ending release of treasures. The Sept. 5 upgrading of Akira Kurosawa's epic The Seven Samurai will be followed in early December by newly remastered versions of Kurosawa's wonderful collaborations with Toshiro Mifune, Yojimbo and its sequel, Sanjuro.